Electric lamp



(No Model.)

R. M. HUNTER. ELECTRIC LAMP.

Patented Jan. 10,18 8 2.

11a vendor N. PETERS Plwlo-hlhcgmpller. Washinglnm n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 252,037, dated January 10, 1882.

I Application filed June 17,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of P'nnsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Electric Lamps, of which the following is a specification. 4

My invention has reference to electric lamps; and it consists in improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

The object of this invention is to make a lamp which shall be more sensitive to the varying amount of tension of the electrical cur- 5 rent passing between the electrodes; to shorten the length of the lamp to prevent loss of effect of current by resistance offered in passing through both carbons; to increase the brilliancy of the light with less intensity of cur- 2o rent; to provide means to prevent jarring of the lamp, and means to replace and adjust and clamp the'lower carbon in place from the outside, and in other points set forth hereinafter. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional ele- 2 vation of my improved lamp. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of same on line w 00. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of part of the lamp on line 3 3 Figs. 4 and 5 show modified detail views of means for imparting different speeds to the 0 descending carbon and tube. Fig. 6 shows a plan view of a modified form of armatures to feed the tube automatically downward. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the armatures, and Fig. 8 shows the use of a shunt-magnet in 3 5 place of the springs which counteract the attraction of the feed-magnet.

Ais the box-frame of the lamp,which contains the regulator or mechanism toautomatically feed the upper carbon down to the lower or stationary carbon andregulate the distance apart of the electrodes and the voltaic are.

Secured within box A- is the elcctro-magnet B, which is provided with a hollow core, C.

Working through the hollow core, and guided by it or equivalent means, is a tube, D, orfits equivalent, carrying at the top wheels or drums I I. A cord, t", secured to the bottomof the box A, passes up through the groove 0 in the core C, and 1s secured to the drum 1.

d, which are preferably made very delicate.

If desired, the cord 4; may pass around the wheel or drum 1, and be secured directly to a screw, 6 or to a spring, 11 to put it under tension, as shown in Fig. 5, and prevent too rapid falling of the tube and its carbon. These drums I and l are so proportioned that as the upper carbon descends to take up the space le'lt by the lower carbon burning down and itself'bnrningup the tube is fed atshch a speed that it will keep always at or about the same distance from the point or electrode of the carbon.

The armatures F are pivoted at G by means of a pin working in a slot, g, which will allow reciprocation of said armature to or from the tube D or its carbon. The edge f of the armature works against the tube D, and is pressed against it by the attraction of the curved part c of the core 0 for the extension or arm f of the armature. Pulling in a contrary direction to the attraction are springs H, which may be put under any'desired tension by screws H. The projections or screws h prevent the armatures falling too far away from the magnet to be attracted upon the passage of a current. In practice one or two of these armatures may be used, as desired, 1 preferring two.

Secured to the frame or box A, and insulated from it, is the globe-frame A, which supports the globe T and lower carbon, J, which carbon is clamped between two jaws, K, pivoted at 70, provided with arms and closed against the carbon to clamp it by springs k By pressiu g the arms Wtogether the jaws open 0 and the carbon J may be replaced and set as desired. These jaws K are pivoted in the solid frame A, or preferably in a piece, S, which can be removed without removing the globe T, which is secured to the frame A close up to the box A, which acts as a cover to keep it clean and keep the rain out.

Secured to or supported from the tubeD by wires M, and insulated from it, is a preceder, L, to the lower carbon, J, which descends the carbon at or about the same speed at which it burns, so that the electricity which passes from the tube or follower D through the point of upper carbon, E, shall pass to the point of the lower carbon, J, and immediately pass off to the precederLthrough thedelicate contact-springs l, or their equivalent, and through the metallic conductingcord m to the frame A or post 0, and thence to line. The lower follower or preceder, L, may be lowered in any other desired manner, and may be connected to the frame by a simple wire passing through or in contact with said frame, or by any other means.

The lamp-box A is hung from a board, P, by springs Q, which are pivoted at R, and the top of the box A is furnished with a cap, W, adapted to be removed, said cap beinglocated immediately under the board and above the tube D. A spring, V, presses between the board P and box A, tending to counteract the efi'ect of the springs Q, and is adapted to pro-- ventjarring or trembling of the lamp from an equivalent disturbance of the ceiling.

In place of using two cords, 6 6, and two wheels, a single cord and one wheel may be used, as shown in Fig. 4; but in this case the bottom of the tube D will not always remain at the same distance from the point of the carbon.

There are many ways of feeding the carbon E within the tube D at the proper speeds. Therefore I do not limit myself to any particular device for this purpose.

The armatures F may be made as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, in which case they are adapted to pull against the tube instead of pressing against it, and the springs 1-1 are springs of compression instead of tension. The only ob ject of this construction is to allow the box A to be made small so far as its width is concerned. The curvature of the armsf and part c of the core 0 corresponds to the radius of the armature.

In place of using a spring, H, to oppose the attraction of the core 0 on the arm f, I may use a shunt-magnet, B, whose circuit is independent of the carbons, as shown in Fig. 8, this shunt-magnet being of the proper power to draw the armature F away from the carbon or its tube at the proper instant to release it.

It will be readily understood that the automatic feeding device-may be applied to lamps of various constructions independent of the follower and preceder and the tube and its carbon, and vice versa.

The operation is as follows: The carbons being clamped in the position shown in Fig. 1, an electrical current from a dynamo-electric machine or other source of electrical energy is passed into the lamp through the binding-post N, and after passing through the coil of the electro-inagnet B it passes through the core 0, tube D, springs (I, point ofcarbon E, then to point of carbon J, through springs .l to preceder L, through conductor m to binding-screw post 0, and to line. The armatnres F are attracted toward the tube D, and vibrate vertically to regulate the feed of the carbons. Now, should the distance between the carbons become too great, the power ot'the eleetro-magnet B decreases and the springs H instantly withdraw the armatures sufllciently to allow the tube to descend. By this mechanism the tube and uppercarbon are instantly freed by a break contact in contradistinction to tangential freeing of the carbon, and which break contact is not the ease in any other lamps heretofore made; and it would be impossible to wholly demagnetize the magnet B, for the springs H come into play the instant the power of the magnet is decreased to a given point, and owing to the sureness of the liberation of the tube D the lamp could not easily go out or break the main circuit, and thereby affect other lamps in circuit, and by the use of a follower to the upper carbon and a preceder to the lower carbon the resistance to the passage of electricity through both carbons is entirely overcome, thereby giving a purer and brighter light with less power, and consequently both a better and cheaper light is obtained.

By the arrangement of the carbon within the tube the lamp may be shortened up considerably. As a comparatively short chimney will be used, the globe will come close to the box A and the lower carbon will be clamped and supported close to the bottom of the globe. This shortening of the lamp is particularly important in railways, mines, ships, 850.; and in place of using two sets of carbons for streetlamps, I am enabled to burn my lamp with one set of long carbons as long as the lamps now used will burn with two sets of short carbons.

Having now described myinvention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric lamp, acarbon in combination with a tube, through which it is fed, and means to feed both the carbon and tube in the same direction at the same time, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an electric lamp, a carbon in combination with a tube, through which it is fed, and mechanism to feed both the carbon and tube, said mechanism being constructed substantially as described, whereby the tube and carbon are fed in the same direction, the carbon moving at a greater velocity than the tube, so that as it is burned the end of the tube is always at or about the same distance from the point of the carbon, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an electric lamp, a carbon arranged to fall by gravity, in combination with a tube or its equivalent, also arranged to fall by gravity, and means to regulate both the descent of the carbon and tube, the movementof said tube controlling the movement of the carbon, all substantially for the purpose set forth.

4. In an electric lamp, a carbon in combination with a tube, through which it is fed, means tofeed both the carbon and tube in the same direction, and operating as described, whereby the carbon moves at a greater velocity than the tube, so that as it is burned the end of the tube is always at or about the same distance from the point of the carbon, a lower carbon, a preceder adapted to descend as the carbon is burned, and a conductor from the preceder to the binding-post, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In an electric lamp, an upper carbon arranged to descend, and a follower electrically connected with one binding-post and arranged to follow the point of the carbon, in combination with a lower stationary carbon and its preceder, electrically connected with the other binding-post, said preceder being arranged to descend, always keeping at or about the same distance from the point of the carbon, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In an electric lamp, a stationary lower carbon and an upper carbon adapted to descend, in combination with devices, substantially as described, whereby the current is conducted to and from the carbons near the arc, and mechanism to feed said devices for ward, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

'7. In an electric lamp, an electro-magnet provided with a core having two attractingfaces, in combination with a carbon, a pivoted armature arranged to oscillate vertically and be reciprocated horizontally, and means for counteracting the horizontal attraction of said armature by the electro-inagnet, and for withdrawing said armature from said carbon upon the power of said electro-magnet decreasing below a given point, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In an electric lamp, the upper carbon, adapted to be fed by gravity, in combination with an electro-magnet and its armature, said armature being arranged to move both horizontally and vertically by the attraction of the electro-magnet, adapted to clamp or unclamp the carbon or its holder by a direct withdrawal of said armature from said carbon, breaking contact directly, in contradistinction to tangential freeing ot' the carbon by the armature, and a spring to draw said armature away from the electro-magnet, as and for the purpose specified.

9. The lower stationary carbon, J, and frame A, provided with an opening through its lowest part, in combination with a holder to support said carbon, adapted to be operated from the outside of the globe, said holder consisting of jaws K K, pivoted at 70, provided with arms and clainping-springslfi, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. The lower stationary carbon, J, in combination with aholder adapted to be operated from the outside of the globe, consisting of jaws K K, pivoted at 70, provided with arms k, and clamped against the carbon by springs 70 said clam ping device being arranged within. a piece, S, screwed or otherwise detachably secured to frame A, as and for the purpose specified.

11. In an electric lamp, the combination of tube D, carrying wheels I 1, carbon E, cord t, attached to the small wheel I and carbon E, cord 6, attached to the frame A at the bottom, passed around the large wheel I, and secured to a tension-screw or its equivalent, as and for the purpose specified.

12. In an electric lamp, the lower stationary carbon, J, in combination with a preceding conductor, L, adapted to descend as the carbon burns, always remaining at or about the same distance from the point of said carbon, a conducting-cord, m, springs l, or their equivalent, and means for lowering said preceding conductor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

13. In an electric lamp, an electro-magnet having its core provided with a horizontal face and a vertical curved face, in combination with an armature provided with a corresponding horizontal'face and vertical curved face, and a spring or equivalent means to draw said armature away from the eleotro-magnet to separate the vertical faces, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

14. In an electric lamp, the combination of the electro-magnet B, having a core, 0, provided with a lateral attracting-face, c, a holder for the carbon E, armature F, provided with edge f and arm f, slot g, or its equivalent, pin G, spring H, and means to regulate the power of the spring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

15. In an electric lamp, the combination of the electro-magnet B, having a core, G, provided with a lateral attracting-face, 0, tube D, carbon E, means to feed said carbon down through said tube, armature I provided with edgefand armf', slot 9, or its equivalent, pin Gr, spring H, and means to regulate the power of the spring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

16. In an electric lamp, the combination of the electro-magnet B, having a core, 0, provided with a lateral attracting-face, 0, tube D, carbon E, means to feed said carbon down through said tube, armature F, provided with edge f and arm f, and slot 9, or its equivalent, pin Gr, spring H, with lower stationary carbon, J, preceder L, and conducting-cord m, or its equivalent, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

17. In an electric lamp, the carbon E, arranged to be fed downward, tube D, the end of which is always at or about the same distance fromthe point of said carbon, in combination with lower stationary carbon, J, preceder L, connected with and operated by the tube D, from which it is insulated, said tube D conducting electricity to one point of the In testimony of which invention I hereunto carbons, and the preceder receiving it from 1 set my hand. the other, and means for feeding the upper carbon and its tube, substantially as and for RUDOLPH M. HUNTER. 5 the purpose specified.

18. The combination of board P, springs Q, itnesses and W, and an electric lamp, substantially as M. A. RICHARDS, shown and described. SAML. M. GRICE. 

